Jozef Keulartz

Wild Animals in Our Backyard. A Contextual Approach to the Intrinsic Value of Animals

As a reflection on recent debates on the value of wild animals we examine the question of the intrinsic value of wild animals in both natural and man-made surroundings. We examine the concepts being wild and domesticated. In our approach we consider animals as dependent on their environment, whether it is a human or a natural environment. Stressing this dependence we argue that a distinction can be made between three different interpretations of a wild animal’s intrinsic value: a species-specific, a naturalistic, and an individualistic interpretation. According to the species-specific approach, the animal is primarily considered as a member of its species; according to the naturalistic interpretation, the animal is seen as dependent on the natural environment; and according to the individualistic approach, the animal is seen in terms of its relationship to humans. In our opinion, the species-specific interpretation, which is the current dominant view, should be supplemented—but not replaced by—naturalistic and individualistic interpretations, which focus attention on the relationship of the animal to the natural and human environments, respectively. Which of these three interpretations is the most suitable in a given case depends on the circumstances and the opportunity for the animal to grow and develop according to its nature and capabilities.

DIY-Bio – economic, epistemological and ethical implications and ambivalences

Since 2008, we witness the emergence of the Do-It-Yourself Biology movement, a global movement spreading the use of biotechnology beyond traditional academic and industrial institutions and into the lay public. Practitioners include a broad mix of amateurs, enthusiasts, students, and trained scientists. At this moment, the movement counts nearly 50 local groups, mostly in America and Europe, but also increasingly in Asia. Do-It-Yourself Bio represents a direct translation of hacking culture and practicesfrom the realm of computers and software into the realm of genes and cells. Although the movement is still in its infancy, and it is even unclear whether it will ever reach maturity, the contours of a new paradigm of knowledge production are already becoming visible. We will subsequently sketch the economic, the epistemological and the ethical profile of Do-It-Yourself Bio, and discuss its implications and also its ambivalences.

Wistful wilderness: communication about ‘new’ nature in the Netherlands

ABSTRACT Based on in-depth interviews, this article presents findings of a study centred on public communication regarding Tiengemeten, a Dutch island previously occupied by farmers. An answer is sought to the question of how visitors to Tiengemeten evaluate, according to their own experiences, the discourse of people involved in Tiengemeten from a policy and communication perspective. This study showed that visitors’ experiences do not always match the emotions appealed to in public communication materials. It is also suggested that people involved from a policy and communication perspective should refrain from using ‘heavily value-laden’ phraseology. For reasons of trust, this article suggests aligning public communication with genuine experiences of visitors. This is also necessary for avoiding scepticism of visitors as policy makers and communication professionals run a risk that public communication regarding nature becomes counterproductive.

Changing Relationships with Non-human Animals in the Anthropocene—An Introduction

In this introduction, we will address the following topics. The first section will deal with the Anthropocene—What is it? When did it start? How did it develop? The second section will show how the concept works as a major bone of contention that divides the academic into those who consider the Anthropocene a planetary catastrophe and those who embrace the human domination over the Earth as a great achievement. The third section considers the biodiversity conservation options in the age of humans. The fourth and final section will provide an overview of this volume.

Does Deliberation Promote Ecological Citizenship? The Convergence Hypothesis and the Reality of Polarization

This chapter will subject Bryan Norton’s well-known ‘convergence hypothesis’ to a critical assessment with a view to improve our understanding of the possibilities and difficulties of environmental citizenship. I will argue that Norton holds overly optimistic expectations regarding the transformative force of democratic deliberation. Firstly, Norton consciously ignores the role of power relationships and strategic negotiations in political will-formation. Secondly, Norton also has a too narrow view on ethical discourse itself: he only focuses on conceptions of the good life within single communities and neglects the plurality of often incompatible conceptions between different communities. To illustrate the inevitability of bargaining on the one hand and the importance of inter-communal ethical tensions on the other, I will discuss the wolf debate in Finland that started after the country’s accession to the EU in 1995.